Starship Launch Animation
Why Space Exploration Stack Exchange recommends it
Space Exploration Stack Exchange users cite it as a primary visual source for Starship's design, scale, pad layout, and orbital refuelling plans when asking or answering detailed questions.
Recommended by 0 people across 0 different months, 2019 to 2021.
What it is
A short official SpaceX concept animation, about two minutes long, showing a Starship and Super Heavy stack launching, reaching orbit, refuelling from a tanker Starship, and the booster landing back beside the pad. It was published by SpaceX in October 2019 as a render of the planned system.
What people said
Cites Vishnu · 2019-10 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Why do two Starships dock in such a manner their heat shields face opposite sides?”
In the Starship Launch Animation [this video] , first, a crewed Starship launches and reaches orbit. Then the fuel tanker Starship rendezvous with the former and docks like this for orbital re-fuelling. [LINK] It can be seen that the heat shields (windward side) of the ships face opposite sides. This can be inferred from the fact the two ships have slight variations near the landing legs and the backward actuator (or body flap). And also note the difference in reflection of light from the sun by the surfaces of two Starships. Another view of the two ships in docked mode: [LINK] So, Why do two Starships dock in such a manner their heat shields face opposite sides? Is there any specific reason or s
Cites Hans · 2019-10 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Why don't we use sound suppression system when rocket lands propulsively?”
UPDATE: In the recently recently released video “ Starship Launch Animation [this video] ” by SpaceX the booster lands next to the pad at around 1:00.
Cites Anthony Stevens · 2020-06 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Relative elevations of the bases for Falcon and Starship pad at LC-39A”
The NASA environmental report of August 2019 ( [LINK] ) provides a 2D view of of the planned changes to 39A for Starship. A launch animation, provided by SpaceX shows the SuperHeavy/Starship stack on a raised platform, but lacks any existing 39A components to derive a relative height reference. ( ). [LINK] Given the distance between the old and new towers and the need to share infrastructure, has anyone heard if the bases of the rockets are at the same height?
Cites D_Bester · 2020-08 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How tall is SpaceX's launch mount in Boca Chica, TX”
Launch Mount render: [LINK] According to SpaceX [LINK] the total height of Starship Super Heavy is 394 ft / 120 m According to Wikipedia [LINK] the height of the Starship alone is 160 ft / 50 m My measurements of the render: 181 pixels for Starship upper stage; 428 pixels for Starship Super Heavy; 110 pixels for launch mount. The proportional height of the launch mount is very close to 100 ft / 30 m.
Cites D_Bester · 2020-08 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How tall is SpaceX's launch mount in Boca Chica, TX”
SpaceX has a render [this video] of Starship launching from a tall launch mount. How tall is the launch mount not including the tower or launch hardware? [LINK]
Cites Barry Jenakuns · 2021-04 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How problematic is debris for Starship storage/depots?”
So with the recent announcement [LINK] that Starship has been selected as NASA's HLS (which is pretty radical), it's raised a question in me that been around for a while. For HLS; a Starship storage(depot) will be placed into LEO and then have 10 launches to refuel it. The HLS Starship will then dock with the Starship storage and go off to NRHO. This means that a relatively large object/target (Starship storage) will be in LEO for an extended period of time (depending on turn around time and amount of tanker ships of course). Unlike the ISS, it looks [this video] like Starship will be using 3-4mm steel [LINK] tanking instead of a whipple shield [LINK] , making it (I think) more vulnerable to debr